Jay DeMarcus Opens About About Newborn Son Dylan’s Birth

Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus, 41, was prepared to welcome the newest addition to his family in August but due to health concerns, his son Dylan made his debut a wee bit early on July 20th.

“I immediately went into panic mode,” the musician tells PEOPLE about the phone call he received from his wife Allison, 35, saying that she would need to undergo a C-section that afternoon due to concerns over the baby’s health (Dylan had fluid in his lungs but it has since cleared out).

And although Jay got to the hospital with just over an hour to spare, he was left with only 20 minutes to hold his newborn son before flying back to Detroit to perform.

“My wife was still on the operating table so it was very, very hard to leave, but we had a sold-out show and four acts out with us,” he admits. “I wanted to keep my commitment and my wife gets that.”

“I had a police escort when I hit the ground and got there 30 minutes before we went on stage, so I just left my scrubs on,” he adds. “The crowd was very sweet and gave me a standing ovation!”

“I literally got back [Monday] morning and Dylan’s been in my arms all day,” he says. “It’s made the stressful weekend worth it to come back and hold him. It’s finally sinking in that I’ve got a boy that’s going to carry on our family name and I’m so thrilled to have little Dylan in our lives.”

Big sister Madeline, nearly 2 – who also arrived early – was excited to meet her new sibling.

“I picked her up first and brought her over and it was the most amazing thing I ever witnessed,” Jay recalls. “Ali was holding Dylan, and Maddy went, ‘Baby! Baby! Hi, Baby!’ and started waving at him. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and patted his little hand.”